


Wonderland

by kethni



Series: Redux [4]
Category: Veep
Genre: AU, F/M, Sequel, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 02:21:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8082943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: It made Sue’s chest ache. But it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. She wouldn’t have changed it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to rosehathawhey for the request.

 

Sue looked out of the window at the bare trees and the cloud-choked sky. She approved of winter. Spring was chilly. Autumn was untidy. Summer was often unbearable and encouraged an unpleasant laxity of dress and hygiene. Winter had crisp coldness. It had a sort of romance – the snow, the approach of Christmas, the warm clothes. She particularly liked Kent in his winter clothes. His grey, cashmere sweater had been a birthday gift. She had admired it in the store. She admired it more as it hugged his torso. She enjoyed watching him put it on. She was looking forward to taking it off him that night.

‘Daddee!’

Sue looked across at Kent. His hands were relaxed on the steering wheel and his gaze was on the road.

‘Daddee!’

‘What’s the matter, Mena?’ he asked.

‘Juss!’

He glanced at Sue. ‘I believe that there is orange juice in the bag, and melon.’

‘No pear?’ she asked.

Kent raised an eyebrow. ‘You drank the last of it this morning.’

‘Ah. I thought you had bought more yesterday.’

‘That was lychee,’ Kent said. ‘You finished that the day before yesterday.’

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t make me spank you.’

‘Spoilsport.’

‘Mama, juss!’ Mena pleaded.

Sue turned around to look at her. ‘A moment, Mena.’

Mena’s lower lip jutted out.

Sue unzipped Mena’s bag and rooted around for the bottle. ‘Do you need to be changed?’

‘Nope,’ Kent said.

Sue’s lips twitched as she looked at Kent. ‘Not you.’

‘Ah.’

She twisted around to hand the bottle to Mena. ‘Do you need to be changed?’

‘Umm, no.’

Sue heard Kent chuckle. They didn’t know quite where Mena had picked that up but the inflection was always precisely the same.

‘You’re entirely too happy,’ Kent said.

‘Are you aware that this is the closest that we’ve come to a vacation since Mena was born?’

Kent glanced at her. ‘Some vacation, spending a weekend with the president and everyone else.’

Sue shrugged. ‘Spending a weekend in a cabin in which I was told there was almost no internet or cell phone coverage.’

‘Hmm, there is that.’

Sue put her hand on his knee and squeezed gently. ‘I’ll take what I can get.’

‘Mama!’

Sue winced at the volume and the pitch. Mena could hit a decibel level that utterly belied her small size.

‘Mena, kindly desist from bellowing,’ Kent said.

There was a pause. Then Mena affected the loud hissing that she imagined to be a whisper.

‘Mama!’

Sue turned in her seat. ‘What is it?’

Mena regarded Sue seriously. ‘Tummy hungry.’

Sue checked her watch. ‘Let me check the bag,’ she said. ‘Would you like a cheddar and leek wheel?’

‘Umm no.’

‘A carrot and lentil stick?’

‘No.’

‘You know what she’s going to say,’ Kent murmured.

‘Nonetheless,’ Sue said.

‘Peanut cookie, Mama?’ Mena suggested.

‘No,’ Sue said.

Mena looked towards Kent. ‘Peanut cookie, Daddee?’

He shared a look with Sue. ‘No, Mena.’

Sue frowned. ‘Mena, don’t ask your father for things when I’ve already said no. Don’t ask me for things when your father has said no.’

‘I believe that’s a classic rite of passage,’ Kent said dryly.

‘You can have a banana or some apple and ginger cookies,’ Sue said.

Mena gave it due thought. ‘Apple cookies.’

‘Say please,’ Kent said mildly.

‘Pees.’

Sue opened the small bag of cookies and handed it over. ‘Eat that for now.’

Mena’s sigh was deep and heartfelt. ‘Okay.’

Sue settled back in her chair and opened her food bag. She gave it a shake. ‘I don’t see any peanut butter cookies.’

‘I ate them all.’

She looked at him.

He shrugged sheepishly. ‘They’re my cookies. She has too much sugar anyway.’

‘Says the man who ate all the cookies.’

Kent tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. ‘When Mena goes to the gym every day then I will share my cookies.’

‘And when will you share with me?’ Sue asked.

Kent frowned slightly. ‘I thought you preferred the double chocolate.’

‘I was making a point.’

‘Hmm, badly.’

Sue stuck her tongue out at him.

Kent smirked. ‘You’re in a frisky mood.’

‘I am.’

His hand touched her knee. ‘Let’s go away in the new year.’

‘Will we be able to get away?’

‘The way things are going we’ll both be unemployed,’ he said.

‘Don’t be such a pessimist,’ she said severely.

‘But you enjoy it.’

‘It’s very…’ She glanced back at Mena. ‘… stimulating.’

‘Good catch.’

She straightened her sweater. ‘According to Charlie, when she dropped her juice the other day she announced “Oh Lord!” and put her hands on her hips.’

Kent glanced at Mena in the mirror. ‘It’s intriguing how small children always seem drawn to saying the least appropriate thing.’ 

‘A skill useful only if one wishes to be president,’ Sue said, raising an eyebrow.

Kent glanced at her. ‘I hope that she’s intelligent enough for her ambitions to lie elsewhere.’

‘Mr Davison, are you implying that president is a job which doesn’t require intelligence?’

He shook his head. ‘You’re in one of your awkward moods,’ he said. ‘You’re going to be more difficult than Mena, aren’t you?’

‘I am _never_ difficult, although sometimes I may be playful,’ Sue said firmly.

His hand brushed against hers. ‘Playful sounds… agreeable.’

‘Ma _ma_ , ma _ma_ , ma _ma_.’

‘What’s wrong?’ Kent asked.

‘Nothing,’ Sue said. ‘She is merely enjoying the sound of her voice.’

‘Hmm,’ Kent said. ‘Maybe she _should_ consider the presidency.’

***

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ Ben asked as Kent carried Mena into the cabin. ‘Does this look like god damn Disneyland?’

‘Monitor your language,’ Kent said.

Mike nodded. ‘She’ll repeat it right back.’

‘Good.’ Ben ruffled Mena’s corkscrew curls. ‘It’ll be hilarious.’

‘No,’ Sue said. ‘It won’t.’ She glowered at Ben until he reddened.

‘Why’s she here anyway?’ Ben asked.

Kent kissed Mena on the forehead and sat her down. ‘We were unable to secure a sitter,’ Kent said.

‘Charlie and Sophie are on their honeymoon,’ Sue said.

‘Selfish of ‘em,’ Ben said.

The rooms were doubles but there was no room for Mena’s travel mattress and the double bed would only just accommodate two adults.

‘This is a problem,’ Sue said.

Kent put his hands on his hips. ‘You only said that to delay suggesting that I sleep on the couch.’

‘Do I need to suggest it?’

‘No.’

‘Shall I sleep on the couch?’ Sue asked.

‘No.’ Kent pulled her close and kissed her cheek. ‘You know…’

‘What?’ Sue asked, pressing up against him.

‘I’m reasonably confident…’

‘Yes?’

‘That Mena’s diaper needs changing.’

Sue drew her brows together. ‘That’s what you’re reasonably confident about?’

Kent smiled slightly. ‘Indeed.’

She rolled her eyes. ‘If I must. Remember that it’s your turn to give Mena her bath.’

‘Splashy?’ Mena asked. She had been apparently engrossed in the cartoon she was watching on a tablet.

‘Later,’ Sue said to her. ‘After dinner.’

Kent handed her the diaper bag. ‘I need to talk to Ben.’

‘I believe I would rather change her diaper.’

***

An absence of work had never prevented Sue from staying busy. Similarly, the absence of the basic tools to do the work that she had were not about to leave her languishing in idleness either. The only internet connection was an exceptionally spotty Wi-Fi. The cell phone connection was apparently being shared with several circles of hell. No matter. Sue took a thumb drive from her purse and slotted it into her laptop. She had a lot to write up in her memoirs.

‘I help,’ Mena said.

Sue shook her head. ‘You may work on your laptop,’ she said. ‘I will work on mine.’

Mena had both a child’s tablet, encased in a heavy rubber cover, and a plastic toy laptop. Sue was unsure why the toy laptop had a pirate theme. It seemed oddly counter-intuitive to say the least.

Kent settled by Ben and began whittling. Sue allowed herself a small smile. The range and variety of his hobbies and interests was baffling: exercise, sailing, photography, cookery, and now, apparently, whittling.

‘What Daddee doing?’ Mena asked.

‘Your father is whittling.’

‘Me do it!’

‘When you’re older,’ Sue said. ‘You’re too little.’

Ben sat back in his chair and took a gulp of his coffee.

‘You thinking of having more?’ he asked.

Sue looked at him blankly.

‘Any more kids,’ he said. ‘You don’t want to leave a big gap between them.’

Sue glanced at Kent but he didn’t appear to be paying attention ‘No, I don’t believe we are.’

‘Oh. Nothing wrong with that I guess,’ he said. ‘Lots of people are only children and they do fine. Look at oh... POTUS.’

‘There’s a medical issue,’ Sue said. ‘Mena is perfectly healthy. Another child might not be.’

Ben shuddered. ‘Right. I remember. Christ that’s rough.’

‘Kist that ruff,’ Mena said to her laptop.

Ben reddened slightly. ‘Oops.’

‘Given the usual level of profanity in use we should be relieved that it wasn’t anything far worse,’ Kent said.

Ben snorted. ‘I knew that he was listening.’

‘I am _always_ listening,’ Kent said.

***

Sue had, in the past, noticed that Gary had a somewhat ambivalent relationship with children. She had heard him on numerous occasions cooing delightedly over photographs, gifs, or short movies of random cute babies and children. When faced with _actual_ human children however…

‘Oh my God, that’s so disgusting!’

Selina had scooped Mena up into her arms for a cuddle. She took a delicate sniff of Mena and turned to Kent.

‘Someone’s got a nice and healthy digestion,’ Selina said, handing her over.

‘Everybody poops, Gary,’ Ben said. ‘There’s books about it.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true,’ Gary muttered.

‘Catherine’s used to be… inhuman,’ Selina said. ‘You wouldn’t think something so small would produce that amount of crap.’ She snickered. ‘I think she rivalled O’Brien.’

‘Probably had better table manners,’ Ben said.

‘Right?’ Selina said. ‘This one time, I don’t know what the… hell happened. ‘I never saw anything like it. It was up her back. I swear to God it was in her _hair_.’

Mike and Gary were both slightly green.

‘Mena had from time to time had a small issue with digestion,’ Sue said.

‘Yeah? Was it as bad?’ Selina asked. ‘My nanny threatened to quit.’

'What did she expect from a small child?’ Sue asked.

‘But that’s not common, right?’ Mike asked. ‘I don’t remember it being like that.’

‘How many diapers did you change?’ Ben asked. ‘First time around I didn’t change any. Times have changed.’

Mike shifted his feet. ‘I’m sure I must've change a few.’

Ben jerked his thumb at Mike. ‘Translation: zero. What about you Kent, the first time.... oh fuck,’ Ben said, in the sudden clanging silence. ‘Sorry. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.’

Kent had paused, flinched, but finished changing Mena.

‘You’ve got older kids?' Mike asked.

‘Buy a fu… a fricking clue, Mike,’ Selina snapped. ‘It’s written all over their faces.’

Kent straightened up. He had Mena against his shoulder. ‘I had a son,’ he said to Mike. He sounded calm. Sue could see his hands were shaking. ‘He died. To answer your question, Ben, I changed his diapers, although not as well as I would be liked. He was in intensive care and we had to use gauntlets.’

Ben stared at his hands.

‘What was it?’ Gary asked quietly. 

‘Heart condition,’ Kent said. He shrugged. ‘There was nothing anyone could do.’

Mike gripped his cup of coffee. ‘Oh, man.’

‘I had a miscarriage,’ Selina said. ‘I know… I know people say it’s not the same.’

'I imagine it's a matter of perception.' Kent tilted his head. ‘If it’s the same to you then it’s the same to me.’

Sue squeezed his shoulder and took Mena.

***

‘That brings back memories,’ Mike joked as Mena critically regarded the potty.

‘Thank God Wendy finally got you trained,’ Ben said.

They were getting ready to meet the Chinese in their lodge.

Minna was watching Mena.

‘Whose child is this?’

‘Mine,’ Sue said.

‘She does not look like you.’

‘She has my bone structure and mouth,’ Sue said firmly. ‘She takes her hair and eye colour from Mr Davison.'

‘Aren’t her eyes brown?’ Selina asked.

‘They’re hazel, Ma’am.’

‘I admire the volume of her hair,’ Minna said.

Sue narrowed her eyes. ‘Don’t touch her hair.’

‘I would never touch someone’s child or hair without permission.’

From the corner of her eye, Sue saw Ben turn to Kent.

‘I did that,' Ben said. 'How much trouble am I in?’

‘I believe that’s different,’ Kent said.

‘Thank Christ,’ Ben said. ‘Why?’

Kent shrugged.’ You were merely expressing affection. There was no element of curiosity or patronisation centred on the perceived “novelty” of Afro-Caribbean hair.’

‘That’s a thing?’

‘So I’m told. Evidently particularly egregious offenders have been known to attempt to “pet” hair, like someone dealing with a friendly animal.’

Ben made a sound of wholehearted disgust. ‘Jesus.’

* * *

Sue didn’t spend many long stretches of time alone with Mena. Kent was usually around and they frequently had Charlie or Sue’s stepsister’s around. Neither of them much liked Sue’s stepsiblings, but that meant dealing with them was a valuable lesson.

Fortunately, Mena was something of a “self-starter” amusement-wise, and could be left with some toys, and a pad with crayons, with the reasonable expectation that she would entertain herself. Sue had been quietly concerned that Mena showed little or no interest in socialising with other children. Despite reading that this was only to be expected at her age, Sue’s concern persisted. Kent had suggested, not entirely in jest, that she enjoyed having something to worry about.

Sue stopped typing when she heard the door opening. After a few moments, Kent walked into the room. He was warmly wrapped up in a padded jacket. There was something oddly arousing about it. Something that spoke to Sue of rolling around in front of fireplaces and fucking in cabins deep in the snow.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’ Kent scooped Mena up and kissed her. She squealed in pleasure and flung her arms around his neck.

‘I thought everyone was having lunch with the Chinese,’ Sue said.

‘They are.’ Kent walked over to Sue and bent down to kiss her cheek. ‘I stole some food and told Selina you required a break.’

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you sure that _I’m_ the one who requires a hiatus?’

‘I’m quite sure that you’re not.’ Kent put Mena down in her pen. ‘They’re not expecting me back for at least a half hour.’

Sue saved her document and folded her hands together in her lap. ‘Is that so?’

‘It is.’

‘Hmm.’ Sue looked at Mena. ‘I think we should put her nearer to the bedroom.’

‘Agreed.’

They picked up the playpen between them and moved it just outside their bedroom door. Sue put Mena’s bottle in the playpen.

‘Mena, your father and I are going to have a nap.’

‘Nooo!’

‘You can stay in your pen and play,’ Kent suggested.

‘Okay!’

***

Sue looked over her shoulder as Kent buttoned up her dress for her. ‘I’ve never understood why so many women’s clothes fasten at the back.’

‘There are so few ways in which men are necessary to women,’ Kent said. ‘Please don’t take away that one.’

‘As a gender men may or may not be necessary.’ Sue turned around and put her hand to Kent’s face. ‘As an individual you are very necessary to me.’

‘I love you too.’ Kent kissed her and stood up. ‘I’ll feed Mena and then I have to get back.’ 

‘You haven’t eaten.’

‘I’ll take a sandwich with me and eat it on the way.’

Sue followed him out of the door. ‘There’s a break scheduled for one-thirty. I’ll see you then.’

‘Ah, yes. That will be fun.’

Sue’s lips twitched into a small smile. ‘You’re up to something.’

There was a definite flicker of amusement in Kent’s eyes.

‘That’s not precisely correct.’

‘Are you going to tell me?’ Sue asked.

‘You’ll find out during our scheduled break.’

***

Selina was grumbling about rocks. Sue looked up from her laptop. She had thought that the rock was distinctly underwhelming. Although most official gifts that she had seen were the sort of bland, mindless, and yet somehow expensive bric-a-brac beloved by the elderly and easily confused.

‘Hey Sue, did anyone call?’ Selina asked.

‘No.’

‘I can’t believe we got outgifted,’ Selina grumbled. ‘That’s just _rude_.’

Kent carried an armful of parcels wrapped in red paper over to the table.

‘That’s even without whatever the hell is in those,’ Ben said.

‘How did the Chinese even know about the baby?’ Mike asked.

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘What?’

Selina rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, yeah. After they ridiculously, deliberately outgifted _me_ they gave us those,’ she waved a hand at the parcels on the table, ‘for Philomena.’

Sue’s eyes widened as she looked at the parcels and then at Kent. ‘Some of these are for Mena?’

‘They’re all for Mena,’ Kent said. He held up his hands. ‘However, we cannot accept any gifts worth more than $350.’

Sue raised her eyebrow. ‘I am aware of the rules.’

Selina slumped down into a chair. ‘Apparently Gary wasn’t.’

‘But seriously,’ Mike said. ‘How did the Chinese know? Do you think that they’re bugging our phones?’

Ben shook his head. ‘Yeah, Mike, it must be that. Kid was born in the damn West Wing, made the news, but sure it must be that they bugged our phones.’

Mike reddened. ‘Oh, sure.’

Sue turned one of the parcels in her hand. ‘May I open these?’

Selina waved her hand. ‘Sure. No reason this should be disappointing for everyone.’

Kent looked around before addressing Sue. ‘Is she having a nap?’

‘Yes.’

Selina rubbed her calf. ‘Thank the holy fuck for fucking that,’ she said. ‘No offence, Sue, but sometimes a girl’s just gotta say shit. Y’know?’

‘Yes, Ma’am.’ Sue had the first parcel open. She showed it to Kent.

‘Ah. Educational,’ he said approvingly.

Ben huffed. ‘Hey, we have that set of blocks at home. My mother-in-law sent it.’

Gary squinted at him. ‘The letters are in Chinese.’

‘Joyce is Chinese,’ Ben said. ‘My _wife_ ,’ he said off Gary’s blank expression.

‘Guess now Mena’s gonna have to learn Chinese,’ Selina said. ‘Maybe she can fucking translate next time instead of Minna.’

Sue was opening another parcel. ‘Many of the schools we have been looking at teach Mandarin.’

Mike’s eyes widened. ‘You’ve been looking at schools already?’

Kent exchanged a look with Sue before replying. ‘The waiting lists for good schools are significant and largely dependent on the child having been to the right pre-kindergarten and kindergarten facilities.’

‘Mena began “tot” classes when she was six months old,’ Sue said.

Mike sat down heavily. ‘Oh boy.’

‘Those are _gorgeous_!’ Gary cooed, looking at the handmade red shoes that Sue had unwrapped. ‘Is that a tiger on them?’

Selina balled up some of the wrapping paper. ‘Shoulda known that it’d be shoes that you’d get excited about.’

Sue noticed Kent’s lips twitch slightly. ‘What is amusing you?’ she asked.

‘I was imagining what your mother will say if she sees Mena wearing red shoes.’

‘Red’s lucky,’ Ben said. ‘Y’know, in Chinese culture.’

Sue neatly folded up the wrapping paper and began unwrapping the last parcel. ‘Good.’

 ‘Your mom’s kinda old fashioned about that stuff, huh?’ Selina asked. ‘My mom said only whores wore red.’

‘You wear red all the time,’ Ben said.

Selina snorted. ‘Cos it’s fucking bullshit. My mom just about slapped the lipstick clear off my face when I was seventeen. Ya don’t see me going out barefaced like some kind of Amish, do ya?’

‘Each generation has its standards of morality and stamps those onto its perceptions of clothing,’ Kent said. ‘Then the following generation mocks and derides them.’

‘Circle of fucking life,’ Ben said.

Selina snorted. ‘I would pay good fucking money for Catherine not to dress like a concussed seven-year-old.’ She poked her finger at Kent and Ben. ‘Ya see how much easier life is for men, huh? Ya don’t have to worry about being judged on what ya wear.’

‘People judge Mike for his terrible dress sense all the time,’ Ben said.

‘Hey!’ Mike protested.

‘It’s true, Mike,’ Sue said. ‘We do judge you.’

‘Stop nodding, Gary,’ Mike said. ‘At least my jackets fit.’

Kent put his hand on Sue’s shoulder. His thumb was touching her neck. She looked up at him. As she had suspected, he was entirely aware that the warmth of his skin was sending tiny shivers down her spine.

‘What’s in the final parcel?’ he asked.

‘I’m not sure that we should keep this one. I suspect that both the silver chain and the jade pendant are real,’ she said.

Selina whistled. ‘That is a nice little piece of jewellery.’

‘We’re not actually supposed to let her wear a necklace are we?’ Kent asked.

‘Hey, there’s parts of the country where she’d have pierced ears by now,’ Ben said.

Kent folded his arms. ‘That is undoubtedly true, however it would take a considerable amount on ingenuity for a small child to strangle herself with pierced ears.’ 

***

They ate rather later than Sue would be preferred, but Selina’s schedule made no allowance for other people’s predilections. Sue wasn’t surprised that the Chinese premier showed the same disregard.

‘I was surprised to see that Selina has had plastic surgery,’ Minna said over moussaka.

‘Elective surgery is increasingly popular,’ Kent said.

‘In the United States, certainly,’ Minna said. ‘I am surprised that Selina would be so easily affected by petty vanity.’

Gary gasped. ‘She is _not_ vain!’

‘Alas, female politicians are judged by how they look,’ Kent said.

‘It sucks,’ Ben said. ‘But that’s the game. POTUS is just playing by the rules.’

‘But she is the president. She just changes the rules and then does not need to have surgery any more,’ Minna said.

‘Wow,’ Ben said. ‘Just snap her fingers, huh. Gee, I can’t imagine why nobody ever thought of that. Kent?’

‘It’s staggeringly naive,’ Kent said. ‘Cultural change is an ever flowing river which one can either fight against or coast with, but can never realistically hope to control.’

‘That is a very cynical point of view,’ Minna said.

Kent shrugged. ‘I prefer to consider it realistic. Revolutions, be they political, religious, or cultural, are always the culmination of years of unrest. That unrest may have been ignored and unacknowledged but it existed. A charismatic leader may be the figurehead of the new order but they didn’t cause it. They merely took advantage of the momentum.’

Minna turned to Sue. ‘You cannot be in favour of a world which puts so much emphasis on appearance.’

Sue raised an eyebrow. ‘Why do you particularly single me out?’

‘You have a daughter. This is the world she will inherit.’

Ben looked at Sue. ‘Uh-oh. You hear that, see? Babies are purely down to you.’ He looked at Minna. ‘I’ve got kids too you know.’

Minna made a “pft” noise. ‘You are under no pressure to have surgery on your eyes.’

‘I’m under plenty pressure to have a gastric bypass,’ Ben said. ‘These fuckers don’t think I know they call me a walrus, but I know.’

Mike shifted in his chair. ‘What do people call me?’

‘Don’t ask,’ Sue advised him.

‘Nonetheless –’ Minna tried.

‘Kent will not even countenance straightening our daughter’s hair,’ Sue said. ‘I am not overly concerned that she will have breast and butt implants.’

‘But she has beautiful hair,’ Mike said. ‘I just want to pet it.’

‘Try and I will break your hands off at the wrist,’ Sue said.

‘Remind me not to let Mike near any of my kids,’ Ben muttered.

Kent brushed off his hands. ‘I’m going to give Mena a bath and put her to bed.’

‘You’re going to bath her?’ Gary asked.

Kent trained. ‘Yes. It’s a things parents do.’

Gary gave his nervous, awkward laugh. ‘Not fathers and daughters!’

‘There’s something really wrong with you,’ Ben said.

‘What?’ Gary asked. ‘I’m just being honest.’

Kent put his hands on his hips. ‘She is my daughter and she is a toddler. There is nothing remotely inappropriate about my bathing her.’

Minna was nodding. ‘In my country it is very normal for parents and children to be naked around each other.’

‘I don’t hate my kids nearly enough to do that to ‘em,’ Ben said.

‘But if the only examples of undressed bodies that children see are perfect actors on television they will have unrealistic expectations,’ Minna argued. ‘My son has seen me naked thousands of times. It is very natural and not at all sexual.’

Ben threw a balled up napkin at Mike. ‘Stop imagining Minna naked.’

‘I wasn’t!’ He looked at her. ‘Honestly! I was just thinking I can barely get Wendy naked in front of me, let alone in front of a baby.’

‘I do not have that issue,’ Sue said. ‘I look excellent naked. She noted Kent nodding. ‘Nonetheless, being naked in front of Mena did feel.... unnatural at first."

‘At least she doesn’t try to grab you,’ Kent said.

Gary’s eyes were wide. ‘ _You_ let her see you... Oh my God. That is so wrong.’

 

Sue rolled her eyes. ‘It feels uncomfortable purely because it’s not a cultural norm.’

‘For a reason!’

Kent put his hands up. ‘I’m going. I may even get in the bath with Mena.’

* * *

That wasn’t precisely an empty threat. They had both bathed with her. Sue found it a strange sensation, watching him in the bath with Mena. He was strong and sinewy. Mena was tiny and fragile. Kent supported the toddler with one hand as he gently washed her with a sponge. Mena batted her hands against the water, giggling when it splashed them both. It made Sue’s chest ache. But it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. She wouldn’t have changed it.

That night, as Kent prepared to sleep in the living room, Sue slid her arms around his neck and kissed him.

‘Umm,’ he murmured. ‘That was nice.’

‘Good.’

‘Was there a reason?’

Sue looked into his face. ‘Just because you are you.’

 

The End.

 

 


End file.
